Moisture guard for chimneys



March 211, 1950 L. SMART ET AL MOISTURE GUARD FOR CHIMNEYS Filed Jan. 27, 1948 Smintors 4 55 SM ART STEM-LEV VAL ENVINE, an.

Patented Mar. 21, 1950 1 OFFICE MOISTURE GUARD FOR CHIMNEYS' Lee Smart and Stanley'Valentine, Jia, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application January 27, 1948, Serial N 4,544

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a moisture guard for chimneys, and the primary object thereof is to provide a moisture guard of the character described, which will collect and dispose of all moisture, in the form of rain or moisture condensations, entering the chimney passage, to prevent the moisture from trickling down on the wall of the chimney passage in the usual manner, and thereby eliminate dampness and damage to the walls of rooms from such cause.

Further objects and advantages of the invention are to provide a device of the class stated, which may be readily installed in connection with any type of chimney top or conveniently removed from the latter when required for cleaning or repairs, which is simple in its construction and arrangement, durable and efiicient in its use, compact, and comparatively economical in its manufacture, installation, operation and maintenance.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts herein specifically described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, but it is to be understood that changes in the form, proportions and details of construction maybe resorted to that come within the scope of the claim hereunto appended.

In the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a moisture guard for chimneys constructed in accordance with the invention.

Figure 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view taken in line 3-3, Figure 2, and illustrating the application of the improved moisture guard to the top of a chimney.

Referring in detail to the drawing, it will be noted that the improved moisture guard is entirely constructed of any suitable kind of sheet metal, preferably copper sheet.

The moisture guard comprises a shield tube I, which is open at both ends and which is designed and intended to be freely inserted or extended, in the vertical position, into the upper end portion of the passage 2 of a chimney 3. The shield tube is rectangularly-shaped in transverse cross section to conform to the transverse contour of the chimney passage 2 into which it is inserted.

A rectangularly-shaped top plate 4 is mounted projects through the top plate opening 6, andis roll turned outwardly'to engage and overlap the collar "I to secure, support, and suspend the shield tube from the top plate t, as clearly shown in Figure 3. Such overlapping attachment of the upper end of the shield tube on the collarforms an elevated ridge 5, which is disposed above the surface plane of the top plate and thereby prevents the flow of any moisture from the top of the top plate or chimney into the chimney passage 2.

The shield tube I has its lower end formed to extend at an angle from the horizontal, and comprises a pair of opposed side walls, respectively indicated at 9 and I0, and a pair of opposed end walls, respectively indicated at H and I2.

The lower end portion of the end wall I7. and the lower end portion of each of the side walls 9 and I0 are turned inwardly to form channels, respectively indicated at I3, I4, and I5. The side channels It and I5 incline at an angle from the horizontal from the end wall II to the end wall I2. The elevated ends of the side channels are communicably joined with respective ends of the end wall channel I3.

The lowered end of each of the side channels I4 and I5 are tapered to provide a passage outlet I6 between said lowered end and the end wall II, as clearly shown in Figure 3, to allow water flow from the lowered ends of the side channels without necessitating the overflow of the latter. The lower end portion of the end wall I I extends below the lowered ends of the side channels I4 and I5, and forms an apron H, which prevents the water, flowing from the side channels It and I5, from contacting with the adjacent end wall of the chimney passage 2.

A discharge spout I8 is secured in and projects from an end wall of the chimney 3, and has a closed inner end I9, which is disposed in the chimney passage 2. The discharge spout inclines at an angle from the horizontal, and the apron I'I depends therein adjacent to the inner elevated closed end I9 thereof. All Water collected by the shield tube I is directed into the spout I8 and is discharged from the latter by 3 gravity flow onto the roof of the building structure of which the chimney forms part.

In the event of rain falling in the exact perpendicular direction, the positions of the channels l3, l4, and I5, and the position of the closed inner end IQ of the discharge spout [8, will prevent rain moisture, entering the shield tube I, from contacting with the wall surfaces of the chimney passage 2, and in consequence such wall surfaces will remain dry and free from moisture absorption.

When rain is falling at an angle from the perpendicular, all rain entering the shield tube I will strike against one of the Walls of the latter, and will be directed to the discharge spout I8 due to the channel and spout arrangement as set forth, whereby the chimney passage walls will remain free of any moisture under all conditions.

The present invention provides a most efiicient device of its kind, which may be economically constructed and installed and successfull employed for the purposes and in the manner hereinset forth.

What we claim is:

The combination with a chimney provided with a. rectangularly-shaped passage and with an opening in the side wall thereof, of a. top plate mounted on the top of the chimney and being provided with a rectangularly-shaped opening in registration with said passage, an upturned collar carried by said plate and forming the walls of said opening, a rectangularly-shaped shield tube extending into said passage and including a pair of side Walls and a pair of end walls, the upper end portion of said tube projecting through said opening and being formed to overlap and engage said collar to suspend said tube from said plate and to provide a ridge disposed above said plate, the lower end of said tube being disposed at an angle from the horizontal varying the lengths of said end walls, an inwardly disposed horizontally extending channel formed at the lower end of the shorter of said end Walls, a pair of inclined inwardly disposed channels formed at the lower end of respective side walls of said tube and having their levated ends communicably joined with respective ends of said horizontally disposed channel, and an inclined discharge spout extending through the opening in the side walls of the chimney and having an inner and upwardly inclined end wall disposed in said passage below the longer of said pair of end walls, the lower end portion of the longer of said pair of end walls forming an apron depending into said spout, the lower end of each of said inclined channels being provided with an inwardly directed passage outlet.

LEE SMART. STANLEY VALENTINE, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 786,555 Foster Apr. 4, 1905 787,267 Bragg Apr. 11, 1905 1,457,540 Matthews June 5, 1923 2,084,338 Hamblin June 22, 1937 2,242,310 Loy May 20, 1941 

